GREENVILLE, N.C.
(Apr. 21, 2008)
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Seven students at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University have been selected as 2008-2009 North Carolina Albert Schweitzer Fellows.

The students, who just finished their first year of medical school, will commit to a year of service with a community agency, devoting more than 800 hours to local communities lacking access to adequate health services.

Below are the students' names and their service projects:

--Ashley Alexander and Ying Zhang will create a series of therapeutic programs to improve the quality of life and emotional well-being of adults undergoing cancer treatment in Greenville and staying at the Hope Lodge.

--Anita Unnithan and Brandy Edwards will develop and implement a first aid program for children ages 8-11 at various community sites throughout Greenville such as the Summer Significant Academy Club of the United Way. The purpose of START (Stop, Think, & Act Responsibly Today) First Aid is to introduce topics such as emergency action steps, rescue breathing, the Heimlich maneuver, how to stop bleeding and treat wounds as well as self-protective measures in a hands-on, interactive manner.

--Brandon Yarns and Nancy Shinouda will develop and conduct a pediatric pre-operative class and tour at Pitt County Memorial Hospital for children scheduled for surgery to lessen their fears or anxieties concerning the surgical experience.

--Laura Wolfe will create an after-school program at the Little Willie Center for children to learn to plant and grow a vegetable garden and incorporate healthy habits into their lifestyles.

"There is a big need in eastern North Carolina for controlling obesity and getting more exercise, and also I think there's not a lot of opportunity to get fresh fruits and vegetables," Wolfe said.

Seventeen other graduate students from health professional schools in North Carolina also received fellowships. Schweitzer Fellows continue their education while participating in the entry-year of the Schweitzer Fellows Program.

The first U.S.-based Schweitzer Fellows Program was founded in Boston in 1991, and the second was in North Carolina in 1994. Other programs are in Baltimore, Chicago, New Hampshire/Vermont, Pittsburgh, the Delaware Valley and San Francisco. Nearly 240 North Carolina Schweitzer Fellows have completed the program.